alfy keeps yelping for no reason and hobbles around like a old man and his head is down! he can lift it fine for a biscuit and give a paw still no problems when there is food but he even yelps now if you step over him and dont even touch him"

hate seeing him like this ive ran my hands over his whole body and each time he has yelped in a diffrent place! there is nothing in his paws either!

we keep thinking arthritis as a while ago he used to get stuck when cocking his leg (he is a rescue so dont no what his breeding is) and also he went like this when his teeth were bad and they arent brilliant atm but i can touch in his mouth ect

22nd January 2013, 01:44 PM

murphy's mum

Please take him to a vet, if he's yelping there is obviously something causing him pain.

22nd January 2013, 07:28 PM

Margaret C

If he is scared at the thought of being touched and yelping when touched, then he has been experiencing a lot of pain & he needs to be seen by a vet.
The hobbling and low head carriage is also something that would really concern me. I hope I am wrong but in this breed the possibility of SM has to be considered

22nd January 2013, 08:27 PM

Karlin

I'd definitely agree with the others, please, very urgently get him to a vet -- and be sure to discuss the possibility of SM with the vet in case they are not familiar with it. This could be severe disk pain or could be SM -- those would seem the most obvious choices. If he is walking like this (the head down position indicates severe pain) and yelps when touched, he so very very urgently needs to get a diagnosis and something to relieve that level of pain. :( I'd try to get him in tomorrow and not wait a moment longer. Please let us know what the vet says.

Please also be aware that if the vet is uncertain about the cause, s/he should NOT prescribe steroids for this pain as it could interfere with a correct diagnosis by MRI, if needed, of many conditions including SM, according to good neurologists familiar with these problems.

I'd ask for an alternative painkiller or to try him on the medications used for SM if appropriate, using Clare Rusbridge's treatment protocol.

There are links there that explain SM for pet owners too -- it would be important for you to read that as I think some of what you are describing could be SM and you might want to see if other symptoms also apply, to tell your vet.